Pilot Chute in Tow and Fatalities

1977: US: 3 of 50

1. twisted belly band
2. misrouted pilot chute
3. unknown, but the system was modified from ripcord activated to throw out

1978: US: 9 of 48

• 3 jumpers with 31 to 100 jumps got the bridle line wrapped around their arm
• 3 jumpers with +100 jumps had misrouted bridle lines.
  One jumper executed emergency procedures properly, but a temporary pin was in the reserve, preventing it from opening. One jumper was unable to pull a blast handle. The other jumper did not execute emergency procedures properly.
• 2 jumpers with more than 100 jumps had a pilot chute in tow, cutaway, main deployed simultaneously with reserve, canopies entangled
• 1 jumper experienced a pilot chute in tow, opened his reserve low, landed in water and drowned.

1979: US: 6 of 54

1. A jumper with 474 jumps had a pilot chute in tow on an improperly modified container.Velcro on the flaps did not allow the bag to be extracted by the pilot chute.
2. A jumper with 83 jumps had twisted belly band. He cutaway but did not pull the reserve.
3. A jumper with 45 jumps misrouted his bridle line, had a pilot chute in tow and did not pull the reserve.
4. A jumper with 64 jumps misrouted his bridle line, had a pilot chute in tow and did not pull the reserve.
5. A jumper with 64 jumps misrouted his bridle line, had a pilot chute in tow and pulled the reserve too late.
6. A jumper with 444 jumps misrouted his bridle line, had a pilot chute in tow and pulled the reserve too late.

1980: US: 5 of 45

1. A jumper with 27 jumps did his first hand deploy (throw out) jump. He had a pilot chute in tow because the bridle line entangled with him. He pulled while in a right hand spin.
2. A jumper with 408 jumps had a pilot chute in tow because of a misrouted bridle line. The reserve was damaged during deployment. The lower lateral band was severed and prevented the reserve from opening.
3. A jumper with 135 jumps had a pilot chute in tow. The pin cleared the closing loop, but at too low of an altitude for deployment.
4. A jumper with 700+ jumps had a pilot chute in tow because of a misrouted bridle line. The main container opened. The main caught air and the jumper cutaway. There was not enough time for the reserve.
5. A jumper with 1000+ jumps had a pilot chute in tow. He tried to clear it until very low, then continued flat and stable with no reserve pull until impact.

1982: US: 3 of 29

1. A jumper with 134 jumps twisted his leg strap to cause a pilot chute in tow. He cutaway but the main risers entangled with the reserve. Riser covers were not on containers.
2. A jumper had a pilot chute in tow and did not pull his reserve.
3. A jumper had a pilot chute in tow and did not pull his reserve.
4. A jumper with 432 jumps and a history of gearing up with a twisted belly band, had a pilot chute in tow because of a twisted belly band and did not pull his reserve.

1982: US: 3 of 29

1. A jumper with 250 jumps misrouted the bridle line around a container flap. His reserve pilot chute entangled with the in tow main pilot chute.
2. A male jumper with 83 jumps pulled at 4000 ft. The hand deploy (assuming throw-out) did not lift the bag from the pack tray. He cutaway by 2000 ft and tumbled until impact.
3. A jumper with 150 jumps misrouted the bridle line around the belly band. He pulled on the pilot chute until the pin pulled. The bag came out and created a horseshow malfunction. The jumper cutaway and did not pull the reserve.

1984: US: 1 of 33

1. A jumper with 52 jumps over 20 years misrouted the pilot chute and did not pull the reserve.

1985: US: 1(?) of 24

1. A jumper with 75 jumps and a year in the sport misrouted the pilot chute and did not pull the reserve.

2000: US: 2 of 32

1. A jumper misrouted the bridle line and did not pull the reserve.
2. A jumper got the bridle line with his leg and did not pull the reserve.